RAIL TRAFFIC DOWN, AND LINES OF POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR BYPASS

UNCLAS CIUDAD JUAREZ 001100 DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USDOT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ELTN PGOV MX SUBJECT: RAIL TRAFFIC DOWN, AND LINES OF POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR BYPASS SHIFT REF: a) CIUDAD JUAREZ 641; b) CIUDAD JUAREZ 989 ¶1. Summary: In recent days, President Felipe Calderon surprised local officials on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border by throwing his political weight behind a plan to build a series of underpasses to facilitate the flow of rail traffic through the center of Ciudad Juarez. Mayors John Cook and Jose Reyes Ferriz of El Paso and Juarez are unhappy with the proposal, which they believe will a) disrupt vehicular traffic in Juarez during several years of construction, b) lead to an increased flow of dangerous cargo through heavily populated neighborhoods, and c) undercut efforts to move cross-border rail traffic to a new port of entry at Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Governor Bill Richardson, a supporter of the Santa Teresa bypass, has not responded to this latest turn of events, but Chihuahua governor Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas, who had also promoted the Santa Teresa route, appears to be capitulating to Mexico City's new plan. While safety concerns are high on the list of El Paso and Juarez city priorities, other political and economic factors appear to be at work in Mexico City. U.S. and Mexican railroads believe that with the underpasses in place, the Juarez city government will have to lift its night-only restrictions on rail traffic through the city. End summary. ¶2. Consulate officers continue to talk with railroad and government officials from both the United States and Mexico to track progress on a proposed new rail crossing at Santa Teresa, New Mexico. This project was raised by Mexico's Secretary of Communications and Transport Tellez with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Peters on October 6, 2008. This report provides information about the quantity and nature of materials transiting Ciudad Juarez and El Paso along the current downtown route. WHAT'S SHIPPED THROUGH THE CORRIDOR ¶3. In recent conversations, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Assistant Vice President Richard Miller has told Consulate officers that most of the rail traffic flowing southbound through Juarez carries raw materials originating from southern California sea ports and grain coming from the U.S. west coast and Midwest. The primary destinations for these products are manufacturing plants in the cities of Chihuahua, Zacatecas and Guadalajara, rather than Juarez. Miller estimates that less than five percent of the rail traffic flowing through the corridor has the immediate border region as its final destination. Most products flowing northbound are finished goods from plants further south in Chihuahua and Guadalajara, and continue by train to distribution hubs in Chicago and Los Angeles. Javier Ortiz, a rail consultant to the New Mexico Border Authority, said that maquilas in the border region prefer to ship their raw materials via truck due to the lack of adequate rail facilities in Juarez. Maquilas on the border ship their finished goods across the border by truck to El Paso, where they remain on trucks for distribution or are put on trains to follow the same shipping routes as other finished goods from Mexico. ¶4. According to a September 2008 report from the Juarez Municipal Office of Civil Protection, rail lines carry significant quantities of at least 10 dangerous chemicals through the urban area. The most abundant chemical, according to the Atlas of Natural Risks of the Municipality of Juarez, is hydrofluoric acid (HF). HF is shipped into Juarez from El Paso at the rate of at least 2,100 tons per month. Its final destination is the multinational Solvay plant 15 miles south of the city. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an accidental release of HF forms an aerosol acid cloud which can cause serious bone damage and death by burns to the skin, tissue or lungs. Even minor exposure can cause skin burns and blindness. BNSF's Miller and Union Pacific (UP) Director of Public Affairs Luis Heredia both said their companies follow all USG regulations regarding the transportation and handling of HF and other hazardous materials through the corridor, regardless of whether the shipment originates in the United States or Mexico. Proponents of the rail bypass and the Santa Teresa border crossing often cite the dangers presented by HF and other chemicals as a primary reason for moving rail traffic out of Juarez and El Paso. WHO SHIPS AND HOW MUCH ¶5. Miller and Heredia report that BNSF and UP hold roughly 65 percent and 35 percent shares of the U.S. cross-border traffic through this corridor, respectively. Ferrocarril Mexicano (Ferromex) is a monopoly and captures 100 percent of the market share on the Mexican side. Ferromex is partially owned by Union Pacific, but BNSF is its largest customer in the region. Miller and Heredia said that BNSF and UP ship roughly the same cargo. Miller said BNSF customers view rail service as a commodity and make their selection of rail company based on price and availability. ¶6. 2008 rail traffic through the Juarez/El Paso rail corridor is down 30 percent from 2007, according to unpublished reports provided to consular officers by BNSF, UP and Ferromex. In the period January to October 2007, total north and southbound traffic was 152,500 car loads. In the same period for 2008, traffic fell to just under 110,000 car loads. According to these reports, traffic had been increasing at an annual rate of roughly 15 percent dating back to 2002. BNSF's Miller says demand has been affected by the downturn in the U.S. economy, which has hit their manufacturing customers in southern Chihuahua especially hard. Miller also claimed, however, that BNSF is currently operating at capacity due to the limited time window in which its trains can transit Juarez. UP's Heredia said prices for raw materials used in manufacturing and grain had spiked, hurting demand in Mexico for southbound freight service. Heredia reiterated previous comments that Union Pacific's north/south traffic along this corridor was "a drop in the bucket" compared to east/west traffic transiting through El Paso on the U.S. side. ¶7. COMMENT: Proponents cite safety and social justice issues as primary reasons for a new Geronimo/Santa Teresa rail bypass and international border crossing. Less has been made of the economic justification for the project, which helps explain why the railroads have provided only lukewarm support and continue to push for detailed feasibility studies. Robert Andrade, Border Affairs Assistant in the El Paso Mayor's office, said President Calderon's support for the Santa Teresa bypass was based on the need for an outlet for goods shipped to and from the proposed seaport in Punta Colonet, Baja California. However, this justification has only been mentioned in passing by other representatives from governments on both sides, and with Calderon's most recent instructions, the stage is set for a confrontation between Mexico City and the railroads on the one hand, and the border cities on the other. MCGRATH